Belief in God's Help During Hepatitis C: A Qualitative Study on Muslim Patients in Pakistan

Religious/spiritual beliefs play an important role in nursing of patients during chronic condition. Religion comprises an institutionalized set of transcendent ideas, while spirituality is personal and subjective dimension of religious experience in search of sacred (Hill and Pargament in Psychol Re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and health 2020-04, Vol.59 (2), p.928-945
Main Author: Sohail, Malik Muhammad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Chronic illnesses
Clinical Psychology
Hepatitis
Hepatitis C
Interferon
Liver diseases
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Original Paper
Public Health
Qualitative research
Religion
Religious Studies
Spirituality
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Summary:Religious/spiritual beliefs play an important role in nursing of patients during chronic condition. Religion comprises an institutionalized set of transcendent ideas, while spirituality is personal and subjective dimension of religious experience in search of sacred (Hill and Pargament in Psychol Relig Spiritual S(1):3-17, 2008). The prevailing literature describes the influential impact of religiosity/spirituality on coping with chronic disease, but specifically patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) have not been studied in Pakistani context. This study examined the patients' belief in religious/spiritual coping, role of religious/spiritual beliefs and prayer as coping strategy. Furthermore, it explored the importance of religious/spiritual beliefs in diverting attention from pain and other needs of CLD patient. A total of 20 patients with chronic liver disease were selected through an appropriate screening process. Subsequently, in-depth detailed interviews were conducted to gather experiences of the hepatitis patients. Religious/spiritual beliefs put forth multiple positive effects that help in coping with chronic hepatitis C. It has been found that patients of hepatitis C use prayer as a coping strategy. Religious/spiritual beliefs have been found as source of diverting attention from pain for the patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C.
ISSN:0022-4197
1573-6571
DOI:10.1007/s10943-018-0700-5